Means for protecting paved roads against erosion



Dea 25, 1928.

Q, v. HoUGH MEANS oR PKGTEQTING PAvmn Roms AGAIST anoston" Filed Aug. 24, 1925 Patented Dec. 25, i 1928.

UNITED STATES i regen? PATENT OFFICE.

o'r'ro v. "neuen, or WARRENTON, MISSOURI.`

MEANS FOR PROTECTINGPAVED ROADS AGAINST EROSION.

Application ma gust 24, 1925. seriai 116151,944.

My invention relates to the protection of paved roads and the like against erosion and has for its principal object an economical, easily installed and effective means for preventing erosion along the edges of roads paved with concrete and the like.

The invention consists principally in placing at intervals along the edge of the highway drain devices that abut at one end against the paved port-ion of the road and that extend to the ditch near the road,

thereby trapping Water running along the edge of the road and diverting it to the ditch before it has had an opportunity of Washing out the earth alongside the road. The invention further consists in the drain device and in the parts and combinations of parts and in the method hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing which forms art of this specification and wherein like re erence characters indicate like parts wherever they occur,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a portion 26 of a concrete road equipped with drain devices embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one of said drain members; and Y Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view thereof along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

It is well known that Waterflowing along the edge of a concrete pavement or the like washes out the earth shoulder along the pavement, resulting in the formation of gulleys and holes, so that vehicles rolling off the edge of the pavement are likely to meet with serious damage; and sometimes the pavement is Washed out.

To obviate these diiculties, I place along the edges of the pavement 1 drain devices A that abut at one end against the pave.

ment and extend transversely of the road, thus diverting water to the ditch 2 that extends along the side of the road. A preferred formof drain device is illustrated in the drawing and comprises a hollow drain box A of triangular section adapted to trap water flowing along the side of the road. Each drain box is provided with suitable legs adapted to be embedded in the ground and with a drain. pipe 4 leading to the ditch that extends along the road. Said 3 may be angle bars bolted to the drain box and closing the ends thereof.

Each drain box A is preferably embed- V8 alongside of the road.

ded in a depression yprovided therefor along the road with the bottom portion 5 disposed at an incline. The side G'of the drain box A abuts against a wall of the'depression and the top 7 of the drain box is substantially flush with the level of the earth The open mouth 9 of the drain box formed by the spaced edges of the top 7 and bottom 5 of the box is extended toward the upslopeso as to trap Water flowing down grade. The bottom of the drain box is inclined slight-ly away from the road so as to carry off the water to the drain pipe 1 and into the ditch. The drain boxes are disposed at suitable intervals along the road, being closest together on steep grades.

The method-of protecting paved roads against marginal erosion. by placing drain boxes at intervals along the edge of the road has great advantages; since it prevents the pavement from washing out and it prevents damages to person and property resulting from vehicles running olf the road into the ditches, gulleys and holes caused by erosion. The particular form of drain box described and illustrated herein is simple and easy to make, it is strong and durable and it provides .an upper surface that .is flush With the earthsurface along the side of the road. Y

Obviously, numerous changes may be made without departing from the invention and I do not wish to be limited to the precise construction shown.

What I claim is:

1. A concrete pavement, an earth shoulder alongside of said pavement and substantially flush with the surface thereof, a ditch alongside of said shoulder, anda plurality of drain boxes disposed with their ends abutting against said pavement and adapted to receive water flowing along said shoulder and divert it to said ditch, said drain boxes having their top portions substantially flush With the surface of said earth shoulder.

2. A drain box for the edges of paved roads, comprising a flatupper portion,Y an inclined bottom. a side portion and closures for the ends ofsaid box, said top and bot tom portions forming a mouth adapted to receive water.

3. A drain box for the edges-of paved roads, comprising a fiat upper portion.y an

inclined bottom, a side portion, said top and bottom portions forming a month adapted to receive water, and supports at the ends of said box said supports having, portions closing,r the ends of said box.

4. A drain box for the edges of paved roads, comprising a Hat upper portion, an inclined bottom, aside portion, saidtop and bottom portions'forining a mouth adapted to receive Water, and supports at the ends of said box said supports having portions closing the ends of said box, one of said supports being provided with an outlet pipe to drain water trom said box.

5. A Concrete pavement, a drainage ditch extending along the edge of said pavement and spaced therefrom and a plurality of transversely disposed drain devices lfor ear rying Water from said pavement to said ditch.

Signed at vKansas City, Mo., this 17 day 20 

